


Feathers, Satin, and Nightmares

by Writing_is_Gone



Category: Gone Series - Michael Grant
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Alternate Universe - Princess Tutu, Amnesia, Magic, Other, caine has the amnesia, diana and dekka are only implied in the first chapter, sam's the magical girl, they will have an actual appearance tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21696532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_is_Gone/pseuds/Writing_is_Gone
Summary: The Prince always dances the same dance,He just dances, and dances,He’s sad and alone,I think he doesn’t even like to dance,Then why does he dance so much?He’s waiting for his partner,Do you know who his partner is?“Princess Tutu!”-----AU; Sam's a magical girl, Caine has amnesia, Drake and Astrid are really suspicious, and everything is vague.
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Kudos: 4





	Feathers, Satin, and Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> um, this doesn't perfectly follow the plot of Princess Tutu, but it is inspired by Princess Tutu (which I highly recommended).

The prince had twisted his body to the left, then bent his back so his stomach was pointing toward the sky. He was wearing a dark shade of blue, and black pants. The blue was shining and reflecting against the water as he danced on it. 

_ The Prince always dances the same dance, _ he suddenly stood back straight with his feet facing opposite directions. He started running and leaped into the air only to come back down. 

_ He just dances, and dances,  _ he began to take a small step around a circle, like his partner was supposed to be there and fill in the gaps. 

_ He’s sad, and alone,  _ he tripped, and fell on top of the water, ripples falling all around, and only then did he notice that there were the only ripples in the entirety of the dream. 

_ I think he doesn’t even like to dance _ , the prince fell into the water in a silent cry, and in a few seconds, there was no sign of the prince.

* * *

Sam screamed and flopped off the bed. He groaned and glared at the ceiling, of course, he would fall after his dream. Because he always fell off his bed, and he always had the same dream. A sad prince drowning. 

Sam crossed his arms and glared at the ceiling hoping it would disappear so he could see the stars.  _ Tap, tap, tap, taptaptaptap. _

“Calm down, I’m coming,” Sam sighed as he sat up. A few days after he started school the birds began to come to his dorm window, begging for food, and water every morning. Sam didn’t have the heart to ignore them. 

Making sure that all of the food and water was in their respective bowls, Sam opened the window. Almost fifty small canaries and pigeons filled up the smaller than average dorm room. 

“So, I guess you guys are like my only friends, so I want to talk to you about my weird dreams-or my weird dream,” Sam started the conversation like he did every day. 

The birds like every day did not react in the slightest to his voice, “The prince did seem different today, though. Much sadder, and the water was colder, too.”

The smallest and yellowest of all the canaries chirped, and Sam continued, “It was bluer than normal, too. Usually, it’s greener like it’s summer. I guess my dreams can tell that winter is coming up.”

A brown pigeon cooed, and jumped up and down on Sam’s lap, “And the music was different, okay wait, like there was no music but the rhythm that he danced was different. Slower, like how cold it was.”

Sam began to look out the window, he hated how the dream controlled him. He had signed up for the ballet school just because that was the dance the prince was doing. Of course, it wasn’t just a ballet school, it was a fine arts school. And he was such a late addition to the school that he had to board in the girl’s building. In a room that had no wallpaper, or proper heating. 

But it wasn’t all bad. The girls next to him, sometimes invited him over when one of them was done with their art classes, or when the other was done with her theatre classes. The town was interesting, too. It was completely circular, and everything had an old rustic feel to it. 

Chimes interrupted Sam’s thoughts, “Shit! I’m gonna be late to class!” 

Sam jumped up and started shooing the birds out of his window, “Come on, I need to hurry! Out!”

Finally, all the birds were out of his room. Sam grabbed his drawstring and ran out of his room. He was going so fast that he ended up taking the steps two at a time. A few steps from the bottom, Sam tripped down the rest of the steps. 

“Ow, ow, ow,” Sam said to himself as he touched his nose, “Okay, so no bleeding, so I’m fine. Let’s go.”

The dorm buildings were a few streets away from actual school. An impressive gothic building with three main buildings separated for the main categories. Live art like dancing and theatre, 2-D art like painting, and 3-D art which could be sculpting or architecture. Things like music were put in live art. The building that had the gate to get into the school was a gigantic clocktower with two long corridors on both sides. Things like administration and finances were dealt with there. 

Across the small yard that was put up for relaxing was the live art department. The top floor held the ballet lessons today. Sam ran through the grass, and straight to the changing rooms. It took less than five minutes for Sam to change and put his hair up. 

Sam had to order late which meant that he got last year’s ballet uniforms. Pastel yellow, with the sleeves and pant legs going down to his elbows and knees, respectively. The yellow headband to keep hair out of his eyes, and his somewhat long hair in the mandated bun. The last piece that was different from the norm was his red jewel necklace. It was one of the only things he had before he moved to the school. And for some reason, Sam could never take it off. 

Sam slowly opened up the door to the ballroom and realized that it was empty before Sam could guess why, the clock in the corner caught his eye. 7:15. He was practically an hour early! Sam sighed and turned to walk back to the changing room. Before he could even leave the room, the piano began to play something. It was soft with a slow rhythm, still faster than his dream this morning. 

Sam curled against the door and watched the other ballet student dance. He was definitely older than Sam, he had lighter hair, almost blonde, but enough brown. He was wearing a red uniform and his hair was too short to put up in a bun and didn’t fall in his face. He seemed to be doing the basic exercises to warm up. Suddenly, the boy turned to look at him, and Sam felt his face heat up. 

“Hi, I’m Sam. I’m so sorry for interrupting, I was just-I accidentally came early, and I started late, so today’s my first day in the beginner’s class and I don’t know where to meet the teacher. In fact, I don’t know what he looks like-or she! I’m really sorry, again. Yeah, I know, annoying freshman, so… I’ll just be on my way.”

The other student simply walked up to Sam and grabbed him by the arm, “Stay.”

“O-okay,” Sam felt everything in his body to run away and hide in the smallest den possible.

“You can wait here for Mr. Cat. He won’t be mad,” the other continued.

“Thank you. Um, so what’s your name?” Sam asked as the other boy let go of his arm.

“Caine.”

“Cool,” Sam nodded, “I-uh-I mean… I don’t know what I mean.”

Caine looked at Sam like he was trying to break every layer Sam was made of, “You remind me of someone.”

“Really? Who?” Sam asked. 

“I don’t know,” Caine said, “You just do.”

“Well-I’ll be in the corner stretching. Don’t let me distract you,” Sam said as he slowly crept to the opposite wall that Caine was at. Caine just watched him leave. 

Sam sighed as he rested his head on the rail.  _ I can’t believe that that happened. I was such a dumbass! Why was I so scared of him? And he looks familiar, too? I know he does but where? _

“Are you okay?” Caine suddenly asked, and Sam realized that Caine followed him. 

“I’m fine!” Sam stood up straight as fast as he could, “I was just trying to remember some of the exercises!” 

“Mr. Cat migh-”

“Caine, what the hell? I told you to wait for me if you wanted to go e-” the voice and person that the voice belonged to stopped as he entered the dance room. He was wearing a different uniform from Caine, but he still looked the same age as him. It had layers, to start, and it was dark blue, with red sleeves covering his entire arms, and slightly going over his palms. At least, from what Sam could tell. His blond hair was almost white, along with grey-blue eyes. 

“Who the hell is this?” The blond stomped up to them. 

“Language,” Caine said. And Sam froze on the spot, the boy was so close to him, “I’m Sam-”

“Shut up,” the other boy hissed out of his teeth like a snake. 

“Drake,” Caine said still in the same tone, “be nice. He’s nice.”

Drake rolled his eyes, and grabbed Caine by the arm, “We’re leaving, now.”

“Hey!” Sam interjected, “We were talking.”

“Now, you’re done,” Drake hissed back. Caine just let Drake drag him out. Soon, Sam was completely alone in the dance room. The piano stopped. The lights were still off, and Sam suddenly felt cold.  _ What a jerk _ . 

* * *

Sam, along with all the other beginners, was sitting on the floor near the left wall, the one over the schoolyard. Glass walls, Sam hated them. Most of the beginners were laughing and talking about last week’s lesson; Proper Holding Technique. Sam was completely ignored.

The door opened and a voice called out, “Now, today we have a very special lesson. Can anyone guess?”

Sam felt fear dip in his chest. A cat. His teacher was a cat. If it wasn’t for the fact that his mouth suddenly felt dry, he’d have probably cried out. But he didn’t. Thank god, less attention on him. 

“Ah, well, isn’t our late starter?” Mr. Cat said simply as he stared at Sam. 

Some of the other girls started to giggle because they were kiss-asses. 

“Um, yes?” Sam said, confused as what he should do. Mr. Cat’s ear twitched and then he simply said, “You are to report here after the advanced classes to catch up on basic work, understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good, now, will anyone like to guess our lesson today?” Mr. Cat asked suddenly tearing his eyes away from Sam, and swept across the room. Most of the girls let out a small cry, and all of them stiffen. 

“No? Well, maybe you?” Mr. Cat turned back to Sam, and Sam saw the other girls sag with relief. 

“Hmm,” Sam thought, “is it something to do with learning the rhythm to the different songs and how it affects our movements?”

Most of the girls leaned forward as Mr. Cat spoke, “No. And guess wrong again and,” Mr. Cat’s hackles began to stand and he started to hiss, “I will have you marry me!” 

Sam bit his tongue to keep from screaming. He couldn’t believe that this cat-teacher wanted to marry him! What the hell! He was 15! The cat was probably like 30-something! Wrong!

“Anyone else?” Mr. Cat questioned, “well, if we don’t have any volunteers, then I will simply tell you.”

Everyone in the class relaxed as he calmed down, “To start today, the advanced class will demonstrate their skills, then they will work privately with each of you to help with the basics.”

Just as he finished the opposite door from where he entered opened up. Five girls and two boys came out. Sam instantly recognized Caine and Drake. The five girls, on the other hand, were new. Four of them wore the same shade of blue as Drake, while the fifth girl wore a white dress with black slippers and stockings. Her hair was definitely longer than Sam’s, even in the bun. She didn’t wear the headband, none of the advanced class wore them. 

All seven of them danced something that should be considered elegant, but all Sam could focus on was how sad Caine looked. In fact, he didn’t even look sad exactly, more like he wasn’t feeling anything at all. 

“I see that you’re staring at Caine,” one of the girls squished close to Sam to whisper. 

“He looks sad,” Sam explained. 

“He’s always like that. Not even his girlfriend can cheer him up,” the girl said watching one of the dancers turn. 

“Whose his girlfriend?” Sam asked as Caine caught a girl.

“Astrid Ellison, she’s the one in white and black,” the girl whispered.

“I like her hair,” Sam said, “it’s long.”

“Huh, I guess that’s why you wear the bun,” the girl whispered. 

“Miss Emma, are you talking?” Mr. Cat said with his hackles beginning to raise. 

“No, Mr. Cat!” Emma said in fear as she almost jumped up.

“Well, most of your fellow students are asking the older students questions, so how about you stop distracting Mr. Sam and do your lesson,” Mr. Cat said with his eyes getting smaller. 

Emma grabbed Sam by the hand, “Yes, sir!” 

Emma leads Sam to one of the girls in blue, and she curled against him a little, “Ugh, I hate talking to the advanced class.”

“Why?”

“Because they think that they’re better than us because they’re older,” Emma rolled her eyes. 

“You,” their entire conversation was cut off as a finger was jammed in Sam’s face, “Dance for me.”

The finger belonged to Astrid, and her face held no room for argument.

Sam felt a weight in his stomach, “A-alright.” Sam closed his eyes and tried to not to pass out,  _ you can do this. You went to other ballet schools. It’s okay. _

Sam put his feet in the right position and began to dance. 

“Don’t watch your feet,” Astrid commanded. 

Sam looked up, and the second he did he fell flat on his face. Some of the beginners were giggling, while others were flat out laughing at him. When Sam went to check his nose, it was in fact bleeding. Groaning Sam stood up and Mr. Cat said, “Maybe I should schedule you for next week, too.”

Sam groan and wished his face would stop blushing. Astrid was openly smiling at him, and Drake was staring at him in boredom. Caine was nowhere to be seen. 

“Are you okay?” The voice broke Sam out of his mind and realized that Caine was right next to him. The entire room, including the piano, shut up. 

“I’m fine, just a little blood,” Sam explained as Caine grabbed his chin and began to stare at the blood, his eyes squinting. 

“Would you like to go to the nurse?”

“I… I don’t know where the nurse is?” Sam offered, feeling once again like a huge dumbass. 

“I’ll take him,” Emma offered and grabbed Sam’s arm and almost dragged him. 

“Oh my god,” Emma said. 

“Sorry?” Sam said, confused. 

“He talked,” Emma brought up out of nowhere, “He talked to you.”

“And that’s a big deal, because?”

“Because he never talks in class! Not to Mr. Cat. Not even to Astrid or Drake! Seriously that’s the most I’ve ever heard him talk ever!” Emma hissed as she started to shake Sam, “This is huge!”

“Oh,” Sam said. 

“Yeah, ‘oh’,” Emma rolled her eyes. 

“Has my nose stopped bleeding?”

“Yes,” Emma answered before she got closer to his face, “why the topic change?”

“Because that’s not the first time he talked to me?”

“WHAT!?”

* * *

Drake was waiting outside of the dance room as Mr. Cat talked to Caine. The idiot just had to talk to the new kid. So Astrid officially hated the brat now. Which was fine with Drake since, Astrid would be busy with him, instead of bugging Drake about Caine. He knew that the brat was probably in the changing room waiting a bit before his probation began. 

Caine exited the dance room and began to walk away.

“Caine, stop,” Drake hissed and Caine did. Like always Caine stopped. As they were walking down to the yard, Astrid was waiting by the doors. Like always. Drake liked everything staying the same because then nothing could change. Caine would stay as he is, and Astrid could deal with it. 

“Why did you talk to him in the middle of class?” Astrid hissed as she looped her arm around Caine’s.

“He was hurt,” Caine half-explained, as always. 

“I got hurt last week, but yet you didn’t talk to me,” Astrid said, glaring. 

“Sorry,” Caine said. Another always. Always apologizing and more of Astrid’s bitching. 

“Just let him be,” Drake shrugged his shoulders, “He’s just being weird, happened last month, too.”

“Do you think-”

“No,” Drake interrupted her. 

“But-”

“No, Astrid,” Drake said simply as he led them both to the dorms, “Caine is going to stay the same, and nothing will ever change.”

Astrid nodded. Like always, Astrid worried, Drake spoke common sense, and she believed him. Even if he didn’t believe himself. 

* * *

Sam almost fell down the stairs once he was done with ‘catching up’ lessons, as Mr. Cat put it. Sam knew all the basic’s and the steps to most of the basic dances, but for some reason, his feet would hardly work, as he looked across the yard, Sam almost screamed. 

Caine was simply standing there. But it wasn’t Caine. This Caine was made of like smoke and glitter, and he was see-through. This Caine was looking up at the sky, up at the stars. 

Sam slowly walked across and stood beside smoky Caine. He hadn’t moved at all and stayed looking at the stars. 

“Hi,” Sam said, trying not to die of awkwardness or fear, because what the shit was going on?

“Mr. Sam! Still at school!” Mr. Cat yelled across the yard, and Sam watched how Caine disappeared. 

“Maybe I should have you marry me!”

“I’m just leaving!” Sam yelled back before he ran as fast as possible back to the dorms. 

* * *

_ The Prince always dances the same dance, _

_ He just dances, and dances,  _

_ He’s sad and alone,  _

_ I think he doesn’t even like to dance _ ,

**Then why does he dance so much?**

* * *

Sam groaned as his face was smashed against the wood. His dream went the same, except for something. Something that Sam couldn’t remember. The window tapping started, and Sam groaned again from the floor. Feeding his birds did make him feel better after his dream. Or maybe dreams, now? Since it changed a bit. Looking at the window, Sam realized that it wasn’t even 7 yet!

His dreams were going to leave him as an insomniac. Sam began to drone out as he watched the early clouds, “Looks like it’s going to rain.” 

The birds chirped.

“Not today, but maybe tomorrow,” Sam said as he watched the clouds sweep over the clocktower, “I think it’s gonna be a thunderstorm.”

A white pigeon with black specks all over began to bob up and down, “What do you think?”

The birds, as always, didn’t respond.

* * *

Sam sighed as he waited outside the girl’s changing room. The only other boys that used his changing room were Drake, Caine and Mr. Cat, the only one present at this time was Mr. Cat. So, he got dressed and put his hair up as fast as possible to be able to wait for Emma. At least he now had another friend in the same class as him. 

Most of the girls were pouring out, laughing and talking to each other. Emma shuffled past and met Sam with an arm around the shoulder.

“So, anything else happened with you and Caine?” Emma asked, apparently gossip was the ballet class’ favorite thing. 

“No,” Sam said, trying to ignore the smoky, glittery Caine from last night. 

“You’re lying to me, aren’t cha?”

“Just saw him this morning as I was coming to school,” Sam said as they entered the dance room. 

Before Emma could ask any more questions, Mr. Cat spoke up, “Today we are going to really focus on the exercises, because as everyone knows, -”

“If you don’t have the basics, you won’t be a prima ballerina,” the rest of the class chimed as they all shimmed to their little areas. Sam gripped the rail and began to work on exercises. Left leg up, out, down, up, out, down, up, out, down. He started to continue with his left arm, only it was close to the body, out, up, close, out, up, close, out, up. Soon the rhythm in his head had flowed down into his muscles.

“Excellent form, Miss. Emma. Perfect rhythm, Mr. Sam,” Mr. Cat said as he walked by adding comments and corrections. 

Sam smiled and suddenly his right foot fell out from underneath him, and he landed straight on his butt. Hissing his eyes flashed on the river below. Sam froze again-the umpteenth time since he started school. The dark blue Caine was outside the window, next to the river. Watching the river moving. If the Caine could tell that someone was watching him then he didn’t show it. 

“Mr. Sam? Do you want to tell the class what you are doing?” Mr. Cat asked, his tail twitching left to right. 

“I… fell,” Sam said, feeling himself blush more and more. 

“Yes, and why haven’t you gotten up yet, or-” Before Mr. Cat could finish his sentence Sam was suddenly up and going back to his exercises, up, out, down, up, out, down, close, out, up, close, out, up. Mr. Cat clicked his tongue and went back to walking.

Sam felt Emma’s eyes on him, but he ignored it. Because that is what happened. He fell. Nothing was outside. He can’t dance if he can’t focus. He needs to focus on dancing. His eyes fell on the river and there was no Caine. Good. Nothing to worry about. 

* * *

Sam got out of ‘catching up’ lessons since he seemed to know the basics and the rhythm that everything was done. The other reason was that it was raining now. Storming, to be exact. Thunder could be heard from inside the building, and lightning could be seen from lots of corners in the town. 

Sam was sure that any minute now, lightning would hit him even though he was 1) inside the building, 2) was on the first floor, which meant that he was three floors from the top, 3) he wasn’t the tallest thing outside. As Sam tried to tie his shoes he heard noises. 

Sam stayed quiet since the noises were creepy enough on their own. Halfway down the corridor, Sam saw the blue Caine again. This time, he was staring at Sam. That was what all three instances had together, he was watching something. 

“Who are you? I know you. But I don’t. Why is that? Do you know? Can you explain it to me?” the blue Caine questioned as he got closer and closer. Sam stepped back and was about to run when he felt hands on his arms. Sam screamed and turned around, effectively hitting whoever with his backpack. 

“Ow,” Caine said simply. Normally Caine. Multi-color Caine. No smoke or glitter Caine. 

“Oh, you scared me,” Sam then blushed harder, “I’m sorry, I so didn't mean to hit you, I just-I just got freaked out because-well because I keep seeing weird things, and my dream is weird, too. I don-”

“What dream?” It wasn’t Caine that asked. It was the smoke version, Sam guessed seeing as how Caine’s mouth didn’t move at all. 

Sam was scared that more questions were going to be thrown at him but Caine just nodded. The blue Caine didn’t ask anything more. Caine pointed outside, “Would you like to go to the dorms together?”

“Okay,” Sam said, and they started walking, about halfway there, Caine asked, “Do you think that I remind you of someone?”

Sam blinked and then adjusted his book strap, “I think… I know your face from somewhere. It’s sad and lonely and you look even more miserable when you dance. I don’t know why you like to-” 

_ I think he doesn’t even like to dance _ ,

No. No way did his weird, sad dancing prince had anything to do with Caine. No way. For starters, it was a dream. Caine was real. His prince could dance on a lake. Caine could not. The prince could dance a part de Deux with one person. Caine can’t. The prince was alone. Caine had Astrid and Drake, and maybe Sam since they talked but it was still weird and Sam didn’t know what to do. 

“I’m not sad when I dance,” Caine said as they ducked between two buildings, “It’s the only time that feel… not me.”

“What do you mean ‘not you’?” Sam asked softly. 

“Will you tell me about your dream?”

“Um, sure?” Sam nodded, not knowing what was going on.

“I don’t have emotions,” Caine started, “Drake says it’s fine. Astrid says I’m fine. I think everything is fine.”

“That’s awful.”

“How so?”

“I mean,” Sam started to turn so they could be face to face, “Not feeling happy, or proud or even like you wanna laugh. It sounds awful. I don’t think I could exist if I couldn’t be happy once in a while.”

“I can’t smile, I can’t cry, I can’t feel heartbreak, all the bad emotions like rage and jealousy are gone. Isn’t that good?”

“But now, you’re not you. You’re not even human. Humans have emotions. Animals have emotions. Plants have emotions.” Sam suddenly looked up at the sky, where it was raining. 

“I want to know about your dream.”

Sam sighed, “there’s a prince.”

“Okay.”

“He’s dancing on top of the water.”

“Mhmm.”

“He falls and drowns.”

“Oh.”

“And he’s waiting for someone,” Sam said staring as the lightning hit the tree a few blocks away.

“Who?”

“I don’t know,” Sam said and he looked back and Caine’s eyes, “I think he’s looking for someone to make him stop. He looks sad as dances and he looks like he doesn’t want to be there.”

Caine tilted his head, “Then why does he?”

“I,” Sam stopped himself, and he noticed that the storm was slowing down, “..don’t know.”

Caine began to walk ahead, “Drake, he sometimes gets mad when I’m home late.”

Sam stayed in the alleyway, “My dorm leaks.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Sam shrugged. 

Sam didn’t want to stop talking to Caine. Caine was the only one that Sam told his dream about. Caine talked to Sam about not having feelings. Caine had cared about Sam when he fell. Caine made an attempt to know him, and Caine  _ talked _ to him. 

“Ca-” Sam started, Caine turned. Lightning hit the tree right behind Caine, “Shit!”

* * *

_ The Prince always dances the same dance, _

_ He just dances, and dances,  _

_ He’s sad and alone,  _

_ I think he doesn’t even like to dance _ ,

**Then why does he dance so much?**

_ He’s waiting for his partner, _

**Do you know who his partner is?**

“Princess Tutu!”


End file.
